Incentive
by Chloe Silvers
Summary: After the Lacrosse game, Gerard tries to convince Stiles to tell him where Derek is. After all, there is no greater incentive than self-preservation. Written before the Season Two finale.


Incentive

Stiles was expecting to be taken in the blink of an eye- he had been dreading the game all week, suspicions were confirmed by Scott. What he hadn't been expecting was for it to happen when he was at his happiest, when it felt like he could do something with himself, when it felt like he had won something.

He was taken when he felt victorious, but it made sense with his luck. The second that it looked like he was going to get the game and the girl, everyone started circling around Jackson. And for the first time, it didn't matter that the world was centered around him again.

He felt someone had punched him in the temple, and he was knocked out right when he was going to see what was happening. He had paid attention in Chemistry just long enough to know what was going on with him. He was in an excited state, released energy in the game, and now he was back to ground state.

Chemical reaction over, triumph over. He was back to where he started at the beginning of the week, worrying about what would happen to him now.

He couldn't save his father before, and now he couldn't save himself. They probably took away his phone after what happened last time.

"Perfectly executed, wasn't it?"

The old man pulled out a container and emptied it in his palm before swallowing the pills.

"Well, the dry swallowing is impressive, don't get me wrong, but you're going to have to do better than that."

He chuckled and walked over to the side. "Did you like the performance? I knew that if Jackson hurt himself, it would attract the crowd's attention. No one would notice your disappearance. They're all too busy rushing him to the hospital."

Stiles was quiet, refusing to look the man in the eye.

"And of course, if I understand, there are some legal restrictions to Scott trying to help him", he continued. "So the lawyer father rushing to make sure that his child is okay will notice. I believe that your friend will be a bit preoccupied to help you."

"Nah, I'm not too worried, to be honest", Stiles said, trying to keep his face and voice still. "I'm human. No reason for you to kill me."

Gerard let out a chuckle before taking out a knife and driving it in Stiles' arm.

Don't scream. Don't give him the satisfaction.

"Every war", he said, twisting the knife slowly, making Stiles wince, "has its casualties, young man." He finished by swiftly pulling out the blade. "Where's Derek?"

"Haven't seen him this week", Stiles replied after taking a large breath of air. "And what makes you think that Jackson won't turn on you if you kill me? I'm innocent."

He said it more for his own health than to make Gerard afraid. Maybe that was why he made it out of the mechanic's alive.

Stiles wanted to get out of _here_ alive. He didn't want anyone to save him- didn't want to constantly be a burden just because he was human. Derek and Scott had their own stuff to worry about.

He looked down at the drops of blood from his arm that were creating a small puddle on the floor.

"Courage", Gerard laughed. "But you haven't realized that you're on the wrong side. You're not one of them, not officially. You should be with us- Scott is."

"You're lying", Stiles said automatically.

"Am I? If I gave him the choice between the pack or the safety of his family and Allison, who do you think he would pick?"

He wouldn't do that, would he? "He hasn't spoken to Allison in months."

"Hard for me to believe, since they both had dinner at my home not too long ago."

"If he's on your side, then why am I here?" Stiles asked

"Trickier to catch. Besides, if Scott's your best friend, then you should be on this side too. More successful side of the war."

He was just grateful that all of the talking stalled the actual killing.

"So I should use you to survive?"

"You're already a pawn on the chessboard. You might as well be on the winning side."

_You need me to survive, which is why you're not letting me go._

Did anyone think that maybe he stuck around because it was the right thing to do? Because he wanted to be on the side that he was on? Or because he didn't want to kill anyone?

Except, if Scott and Allison were on Gerard's side, then what side was Stiles on?

"What are you doing?" A voice asked

He looked up. Allison's Dad? Great, a couple more people and it'll be an Argent family reunion.

"We got the stragglers, but I want the Alpha", Gerard explained. "This boy's going to lead us to him."

Who was caught? All of them or just two? Who was it?

"He's not one of them", he said firmly. "Give me the key."

"Funny, they think that old men grow soft, but I feel fine. You on the other hand…"

"Give me the key."

"We let him go, we lose any chance of getting to Derek. His pack's not talking."

"And you think he will? He's got as much loyalty to them."

Gerard examined the blade for a second before driving it into Stiles' stomach. He wasn't prepared for that one- didn't have time to keep himself from screaming out in pain.

"No greater incentive like self-preservation", Gerard said before turning back to Stiles. "What do you say? Tell me where they are and a major organ won't be next."

Stiles bit his lip, trying to hide the pain. He wondered where his jeep was- how quickly he could get himself to the hospital. How much blood he would lose on the way if he somehow left right this second.

Truth was that he'd rather avoid the whole thing. He didn't have a great track record with hospitals, even if he hadn't been the patient in a while.

His dad used to get worried about the panic attacks after Mom died. They were unexpected, used to creep up on him. At least they did before he started tricking his body into thinking that they were something else.

Anything but the weakness that he felt. He wondered if he could muster enough adrenaline to pull this car-sized burden off of himself. He didn't have a mother to protect him anymore, and even though Dad was great, Stiles wished that he could explain everything to him.

"He's just a kid!" Allison's dad came to his defense, which was weird considering the past year.

Stiles should have thrown back a sarcastic retort, but he knew that this wasn't the time. There was one guy on his side here, twisted as it was, and because of that, he might have a chance.

"They're all just children", Gerard said. "And then they become…beasts that are after the innocent people in this town- our daughters, your sister. We need to squash them while they're still insects." He raised his hand again, but Allison's dad stopped his hand mid-air.

"We don't kill humans, regardless of their friends." He took the blade out of his father's hand and held it out. "The key."

Gerard reached inside of his jacket and pulled out the key. "You're making a mistake."

"And when it blows up in my face, I'll apologize, but for now", he stopped, grabbing the key and turning towards Stiles.

He unlocked one arm and then the next before releasing his bound legs. "Get out the door and make two lefts and a right. Open the door out to the forest and run as fast as you can."

Stiles wanted to ask if Scott was working with them, wanted the one answer before he decided where to run, but he didn't want to waste time in case these guys changed their mind.

He winced, feeling the pain in his arm and stomach as he slid open the door and started moving as fast as he could to the end, covering his stomach with his good arm and wishing that he had another limb to apply pressure to his bad arm.

When he saw the door, he checked his pockets- he had his phone after all, but it didn't look like anyone was trying to track him.

After what happened with Peter, the big bad Alpha, he made sure that everyone within a ten mile radius knew to have the GPS on their phones on at all times, regardless of the whining of 'But Stiles, it uses up all of my battery' excuses that he got weeks down the road.

Dad didn't know why he was asking, just thought that it was a good idea for his teenage son that got in trouble sometimes. Stiles let him roll with it.

When he stumbled out of the creepy tunnel, he wanted to call Scott, ask him for help. But there was something about the way that Gerard said that Scott was on his side, that sick amount of confidence, that made Stiles doubt his best friend. Made him wonder just how far he would go to keep Allison in his life.

He told Scott so many times that there were other fish in the sea- that the whole Allison's entire family hunting werewolves and Scott pretty much becoming the weekend deer up for hunt made the relationship a little cut short. He got the guy drunk because that's what bros do when hoes rip your heart out, and it didn't seem to help.

Even a death threat didn't give Scott the signal that maybe it was time to steer clear. But here Stiles was, after having a blade stuck in him twice in one night- he didn't want to risk Scott being on a different side or not answering his phone.

Maybe it was the phone thing. A person starts to take offense when they risk theirs and someone else's life to make a phone call and they get hung up on.

_You don't trust me, I don't trust you._

Derek needed to know that they caught some stragglers, whatever that meant.

Stiles dialed the number, and two rings later, he got a greeting.

"Something's wrong. The Argents caught some people in your pack- I don't know how many or who, but they got at least two out of the three."

"_How long ago?"_

"I don't know", he said, wincing as he stumbled around the forest. "They're looking for you. Don't go anywhere near your house."

"_Stiles, where are you?"_

"Don't worry about me", he answered, purposefully putting some pep in his step. "I'm fine", he said cheerfully.

"_I'll get Scott and we'll find them- thanks for letting me know."_

"No!" He said quickly before Derek could hang up on him. He was starting to get dizzy. How far away was he? Which way was straight? "Scott-" He stopped for a second to grab a tree for support. "he might be working with the Argents. I know it sounds crazy, but you have to listen to me."

"_-I know he is."_

Derek said it with a tone of bitterness, and that didn't stop Stiles' stomach from sinking.

He knew?

"You what?"

"_Stiles, where are you?"_

This was probably Argent's plan- let him go so that he would be forced to call Derek. Their team was probably still around here looking for him. If Derek showed up here, it would be game over for both of them.

"I'm fine." He said, letting go of the tree and continuing to walk along as fast as his legs could carry him. "You just worry about your pack."

He was in danger, Derek was in danger, Scott was in danger, the entire pack was in danger, and they were barely above killing humans now- a boundary that would probably be crossed over in another split second.

Stiles could see that he was leaving a small trail of blood behind him; if someone were to try and find him, the Argents would be able to catch up. He didn't have super-speed.

Stiles was damned, and so was whoever was going to try and rescue him. He was having trouble breathing again, just like he had all week. "Derek, stay away from here."

"_Tell me where you are."_

Trick the body into thinking that it's having something other than a panic attack. Anxiety, a heart attack, an asthma attack.

"I need an inhaler", he said to himself before passing out.

He woke up in a speeding car, gasping for air.

"Good, you're still alive", Derek said to him. "This way I can kill you for bleeding all over my Camaro."

"You can't take me to a hospital", Stiles mumbled. "Can't explain this."

He tried to sit up, but Derek's hand was pressed on his stomach, something that he didn't notice before. It…didn't hurt there anymore.

There was blackness crawling up Derek's arm. "What are you doing?"

"Saving your life", he answered evenly. "You're welcome."

"I'd probably be better off with the bite", he rambled. "But I don't want it. Your crazy uncle offered it to me as a reward, but I don't want it. But if I did, I wouldn't need to be helped all of the time."

"You don't need it", Derek told him. "You do need to shut up, though. You're going to be okay."

He wanted to fight him, but the guy still scared him a little bit. "Fine", he said, cradling his arm. "I trust you."

Before he closed his eyes, he could have sworn that he saw Derek smile.


End file.
